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Chandigarh: At new MC chief’s first House meet, councillors pick holes in working
From non-responsiveness of officials to administration not approving resolutions, grievances going back to the period before Mitra’s joining were listed
The first General House meeting under the new commissioner of the municipal corporation (MC), Anindita Mitra, saw councillors listing a host of complaints and grievances against MC officials.
From non-responsiveness of the officials to administration not approving resolutions, grievances going back to the period before Mitra’s joining were listed. Mitra took over the charge of MC commissioner a week back on August 23.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor Shakti Prakash Devshali took up the issue of tree felling: “We make endless efforts to plant trees and turn the city green. But the officials either turn a blind eye to the cutting of trees or make it a trivial issue. For the last four months, I have been taking up the issue of registering an FIR regarding removal of a tree in Industrial Area, Phase 1. Instead, the horticulture wing filed a missing report.”
Councillors also complained that officials didn’t even register police complaints when MC property was stolen from parks/gardens.
‘Councillors left out from decision-making’
On the issue of street vendors, BJP city chief and councillor Arun Sood said, “Even after the MC House passed a resolution to make councillors members in the town vending committee, it was ignored. Sitting in their AC rooms they have made arbitrary decisions regarding the livelihood of residents.”
Sood also alleged that MC officials were sending incorrect and inflated garbage collection bills in a bid to harm BJP’s electoral chances in the coming elections.
Senior deputy mayor and BJP councillor Maheshinder Singh Sidhu said residents had to run pillar to post for getting clearances from different MC departments. He demanded that a single-window system should be established.
Responding to Sidhu’s request, Mitra said, “There should be a single window system for clearances. It should be the responsibility of the MC officials and not the residents.”
Mitra also assured the House that all the lacunas in the working of the MC will be addressed. On several grievances, Mitra would be submitting a report on action taken, she added.
OTHER DECISIONS
Smart parking lots: A meeting with parking lot contractors has been called. “I will be submitting a report before the House on the action taken and if any penalties are imposed,” said the commissioner.
Floating solar plant at Sector-39 waterworks: Councillors questioned how CREST had reached the costing of the plant. They also asked under what scheme the CREST was offering to install the plant free of cost. House sought a presentation from CREST before okaying proposal.
The House cleared ₹58.93 lakh for development of a green belt around judges’ houses in Sector 10A.
Payment of salaries to 179 employees whose salaries were stopped due to objections raised by an audit also approved.
On the agenda of approving monthly licence fee of the bank located in MC office, the House was informed that since 2017, the bank had been operating without a formal agreement.
